Star Wars updates and playing Destiny

I thought it was about time I did a few Star Wars updates as lots of little things have been floating around over the last week. The big news over the weekend is that Lucasfilm have made a formal statement to say that there will NOT be any CGI version of Carrie Fisher in Episode IX or any other Star Wars films.

The full statement said,

"We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa. 

"Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars."

I thought they did a good job of creating Tarkin and the young Princess Leia in Rogue One I personally had no issue with them moving to CGI to keep Leia in Episode IX especially as Carrie was apparently delighted with what they did in Rogue One.

My worry is that they had completed filming Episode VIII and Leia apparently has a big role so how will they explain her absence in Episode IX? Have her die between films and then just have a ceremony to cover it in Episode IX? That would be lame and unacceptable to me and I certainly don't want some wishy-washy 'she went away' ruse. Time will tell how they handle this but I hope it is done well and in a respectful manner if they are avoiding the CGI route.

Talking of Episode VIII, director Rian Johnson has revealed a few things for us (not spoilers as such...). The film does already have a title but this hasn't been revealed to the world yet. We will learn more about the new characters that first appeared in The Force Awakens. Luke Skywalker is the 'emotional entry point' into Episode VIII. Rey will develop a strong connection to Luke. The film isn't planning on taking a darker route a la The Empire Strikes Back and will emphasise fun and be an enjoyable experience.

Time to pop back to The Force Awakens now with an awesome deleted scene. Given what we see in A New Hope I don't know why this would have hit the cutting room floor other than the question of how and why Unkar Plutt was at Maz Kanata's castle. I love this scene and it certainly provides verifies the famous Han Solo quote from A New Hope. Enjoy!


In Han Solo movies news it has now been confirmed that Woody Harrelson and although these things are always shrouded in secrecy he has been allowed to reveal that he will be playing a mentor to the young Han Solo (and a bit of a criminal).

Felicity Jones recently hosted Saturday Night Live. Although there were no sketches related to Star Wars she did manage to drop some Star Wars references into her opening monologue.


Next up we have an incredible video from an upcoming episode of Mark Hamill’s Pop Culture Quest where he is reunited with his lightsaber from Return Of The Jedi:




If you like your mobile Star Wars games then you will be pleased to know that Star Wars: Force Arena was released today and is available on Android and iOS.

It's not a bad little game, I've had a quick play through and it seems like fun in the short term. Here's a first impressions video (not mine)


Sam and I indulged in a couple of games of Star Wars Destiny tonight. It's a combination of card and dice game that plays really well. Simple to learn and execute, just how I like games.

It was good fun and we'll be trying out the deck building element at the weekend to see what difference that makes to play (and the enjoyment).

...and don't forget everyone, piracy is a crime ;)